Looking for camera suggestions for first time setup.

[bocasbuay]

Hello all, I want to set up security cameras for a pharmacy I own. I was thinking of running the system with BlueIris. I would like to have them indoors and outdoors. Ideally, I would hope for motion detecting specs and maybe sound. The thing is I find so much information online I don't even know where to begin. I also have cameras already installed from a previous DVR system I had which broke down, maybe there was a way of setting the working cameras to the PC and running them with BI? I will post a picture of the terminals. Let me know what you guys think, thank you!

 

[Old Timer]

You have analog cameras, so you can't run them directly to the PC, but Blue Iris will
pull the stream from most DVR's, so without knowing the brand, you will have to try it to find out.

For future cameras, you probably want to read this,

Complete Newbie Guide for setting up your IP CAM

...

ipcamtalk.com

Newbie Starter Guide to IP Cam System – VPN setup – Computer Hardware – Blue Iris – Dahua Cameras

This is an intermediate / newbie guide for people just starting out looking for a surveillance setup. I know this setup might not be for everyone and there are many options. You can find a lot of this information in the Wiki: IP Cam Talk Wiki | IP Cam Talk A great place to start in the Wiki...

ipcamtalk.com

For a Blue Iris PC, read the notes, and figure out how many cameras, and what resolution you would want.
This will let you know how much and what type of PC you will need to run it. Leave a little room for expansion.

Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris

Buy refurbished. Don't build or buy new. The most cost-effective Blue Iris computers are refurbished business-class systems such as "HP EliteDesk" and "Dell OptiPlex". You can usually get a good deal by searching [URL='http://www.ebay.com/']Ebay[/URL] for specific CPU model numbers, and...

ipcamtalk.com

It really makes sense to draw out the location and draw in what you want covered, and where you
have to put cameras to cover that area.

Focal Length Calculator

Calculate the focal point of a camera to help determine the best size lens to order. Save & view your results later.

ipcamtalk.com

It works best to pick up a varifocal camera and place it in each location to figure what lens you need for each, or if you need a varifocal.

 

[whoami ™]

wish i had asked that question. IMHO from my experience only get turret cams. you'll have to clean dome cams every two weeks or every time it rains hard with the wind blowing in the right direction, only get domes for a covered area like right by the front door used as a replacement for a doorbell cam but obviously a little higher. Doorbell cams suck, dont waist your time with them. varifocial cams suck too they will not be as clear as a stationary cam like a 2.8mm. 2k cams are pointless they just eat up more drive space. get 1080p starlight cams.